leaders

Somali army says it killed senior al-Shabab leaders in Middle Shabelle raid MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s national army said Sunday it killed senior al-Shabab leaders and roughly 15 fighters in a planned security operation in the Jabad Godane area of the Middle Shabelle region, describing the strike as a significant blow to the group’s leadership and logistics. In a brief statement, the Somali National Army said the operation targeted a militant cell accused of planning attacks and targeting civilians. The army identified…

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Friday in Addis Ababa for a one-day working visit, with both leaders discussing ways to deepen bilateral relations and regional cooperation centered on trade, security and regional stability in the Horn of Africa. Abiy described the talks on his official Facebook page as “productive discussions, continuing the bilateral engagements we have been working on over the past year,” signaling continuity in the two neighbors’…

Somali Political Leaders Hold Closed-Door Talks in Kismayo KISMAYO, Somalia — Senior Somali political figures held closed-door meetings Friday at the Jubaland presidential palace in the southern city of Kismayo, in what participants described as a pivotal bid to shape the country’s political path and the 2026 elections. Officials briefed on the discussions said the talks centered on finalizing the structure and mandate of a proposed body called the Future Council of Somalia, which backers say is intended to guide the…

LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet European allies in London on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump accused him of not reading Washington’s proposal to end the war with Russia, underscoring widening tensions around the stalled peace effort. The London talks follow days of negotiations in Miami between Ukrainian and U.S. officials that ended Saturday without a breakthrough, though Zelensky said Kyiv would continue discussions. He is due to be received by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer…

Africa Investment Forum Market Days opened Wednesday with government leaders and development experts urging expanded private‑sector participation, innovative financing solutions and accelerated policy reforms to unlock the continent’s economic potential. Speakers at the 2025 Africa Investment Forum (AIF) Market Days emphasized that private capital, new financing instruments and faster regulatory change are central to closing investment gaps across energy, infrastructure, agribusiness and manufacturing. Delegates described…

MINNEAPOLIS (AX) — Minnesota officials, immigration attorneys and Somali American leaders urged calm Monday and denounced “dangerous misinformation” after former President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post that he had immediately terminated Temporary Protected Status for Somali nationals — a move legal experts said he cannot make and that has not occurred. TPS for Somalia remains in effect through March 17, 2026, under a Department of Homeland Security designation that shields eligible Somali nationals from…

Somalia’s New Opposition Bloc Warns of ‘Red Lines’ as Federalism Wobbles NAIROBI — In a city that often hosts Somali politics in exile, a newly formed alliance of regional leaders and opposition figures gathered Wednesday and issued the sort of warning that lands with a thud in Mogadishu: Do not bend the country’s fragile constitutional order. Do not change the rules without consensus. Do not extend your mandate. And do not squeeze Somalia’s federal system until it breaks. Calling itself the Somali Future Council, the bloc…

Somalia’s fragile federal compact faces a test as Mogadishu convenes regional leaders on 2026 elections MOGADISHU — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will host a carefully staged meeting in Mogadishu this week with leaders from three federal member states, a gathering that officials say is aimed at salvaging a badly strained process for the 2026 national elections. Expected to attend are Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen) of South West, Ahmed Abdi Kariye (Qoorqoor) of Galmudug, and Ali Gudlawe Hussein of HirShabelle. But…

Whoever Leads Them, ISIS in Somalia Keeps Fighting — and Its Leader’s Fate Remains a Mystery BOSASO, Somalia — After months of airstrikes, ground offensives and rumours, the fate of the man who once laid the foundation for ISIS in Somalia remains unresolved. Abdulkadir Mumin, the group’s widely recognised founder, has not been seen in public for months. His absence has left local communities, Puntland State authorities and international monitors speculating — and a violent campaign in the Al‑Miskaad mountains grinding on.…

The Unyielding Call for Justice: A City Divided by Dissent On a seemingly ordinary day in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the air thickens with tension as protesters gather, their chants rising like a storm. Under a veil of clouds and uncertainty, the demonstration unfurls its wings, an echo of a deeper longing for justice and autonomy resonating through the streets. Amid the clamor, one name emerges—Nnamdi Kanu, a polarizing figure whose imprisonment has set aflame a nation’s quest for identity and political agency. The…